One Perspective Isn't Accurate (Conclusion)
Ater looking at the American Civil Rights movement from both the National and International perspectives through the two paths it becomes apparent that both the international and the national aspects of the Civil Rights Movement were important to the pursuit of equality. In this sense both the views of Singh and Lepore have some merit, as it is not effective to view the Civil Rights movement as only American or only as a global movement. For example, looking at the Herndon and Scottsboro case we see international organisations actively having a role in the Civil Rights Movement. However, if we fail to teach about the domestic aspect of Thurgood Marshall, American’s may not feel connected to their own history, and be unable to take their own experience and use it on an international scale.
Schools across the country need to consider teaching the Civil Rights movement in a manner that emphasizes both perspectives. Teaching only one of these perspectives is a guaranteed way to improperly, and falsely teach history. Not only is it limiting from a historical perspective but it also is harmful to America. As only teaching one perspective can take away from the struggles of not only African American’s, but all people struggling for equality and create a culture of American superiority. Without one or the other perspectives, key information would be missing about the Civil Rights Movement, which could lead to a skewed perspective of race relations, especially in contemporary politics. Today's politics are determined by modern interpretations of historical cases, events, documents and more to better understand American history. With the continuation of this "one-sided" recounting of history, and as the United States becomes more and more diverse, we are creating an American history that many are excluded from, and a history that is overall incomplete. Without a full knowledge of key events, like the Civil Rights movement, the course our nation would take to become the very best version of itself and exemplify its core values cannot be fully realized. Without a holistic understanding of our nation's history, we risk the future.